Cotton-harvester



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. M. HANKS.

GOTTON HARVESTER.

No. 359,724. Pmmed MMl 22, 1887.

wm- 7 a/n /zmm4 fnifrnn hararet a'rnn'r riirenQ FRANCIS M. HANKS, OF MID\VAY, LOISANA.

COTTONHARVESTER.

Pi- ZCIFICATEQN formng part of Letters Patent No. 359,724, dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed June 16, 1886. Serial Nofl'-T.

.To a-ZZ whom if ?may conc-rn:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. Hnis, a citizen of the United States, rcsiding at Mid- Way, in the parish of Bossier and State of Lonisiana, have invented a new and nsefnl Improvementin Cotton-Harvestcrs, of Which the following is a specification.

My invcntion relates to an improvement in cotton-harvesters; and it consists in the pecnliar Construction and combination of deviccs that Wiil be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particnlarly pointed ont in the clainis.

n the drawings, Figure l is aside clevation of a cotton-harv-estcr embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a'vertieal longitndinal seotional view of the same. Fig. is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. i is partly an elevation and partly a sectional view ofone of the stirrin-shafts. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of one of the bloW-pipes.

A rcpresents a vertical rectangnlar frame or case, Which is provided With hollow sides B, in the npper sides of which are located herizontal flncs (l, that extcnd thronghont the en` tire length of the frame. 'The sides B are formed of sheet metal or any other snitable preferred material, and their lower edges arc bent ontn-'ardly at right angles, thereby forminghorizontal fianges D. These fiangcs extend ontwardly from the enter sides of the hollow Walls, and also inwardly fromthe inner sides of the said hollow Walls, and the front ends of the said flanges are beveled or cnt away on one side, as at D', so as to direct the stalls of cetton between the interior projecting i'langes,D, and thns prevent the cotton-plants from being injnrcd. The top of the frame is made in the shape of an invcrtcd fnnnel, and from its apcx projccts a vertical pipe or spont, E. Surronnding the said spont, and secnred on the apcx of the cone-shaped cover or top, isavertical pipe, F.

G rcpresents a series of pipcs that extend from the fines C to the lower end'of the pipe F, and H rep resents a series of pipes Which extend from the flnes C doWnWardly on the inner sides of the hollow Walls, and have their lower ends turned upwardly and extended through the inner flanges, D.

In snitable bearing-blocks or standards, Which are located between the inncr and enter 'Walls of the holloW sidcs B of the frame, arc

(No model.)

j onrnaled snpporting-Whcels l, the said Wheels being inclosed at the front and rear ends of the said hollow Walls, and thereby prevented from coming in contact With the cottonlplants and injnring them.

K represents a pair of fcircnlar inclosing cases, Which are located at the rear ends of the flnes G and commnnicatc With the said fines. A transverse shaft, L, is jonrnaled centrally in the said cases K, and to radial arms of the said shaft, located Within the cases K, are attached fans or blowers L', that are adapted to force a strong` current of air into each of the flnes C when the shaft Lis rotated. 'The axle of one of the Wheels I, at the rear end of the machine, extends inwardly beyond the inner side of the Wall, and is provided With a pnlley or sprocket-Wheel, M.

N represents sprocket-teeth, Which are attached to the shaft L, near one of the cases K, and the said sprocket-teeth are connected to the sprocket Wheel or pnlley M by means of a crossed belt or chain, 0. By this constrnction it Will be readily nndcrstood that When the machine is drawn along the roWs of cottonplants, motion from the Wheel I Willflbe comnnnieated to the driving-shaft L.

P represents a transvcrse bar at the lower sides of the cases K, and E represents a pair of long'tndinal shafts, the rear ends of Which are secnred to the bar P at a snitable distance from each other, and the front ends of the said shafts arc secnred to a transvcrse bar, T, at the front end of the machine-frame. llhese shafts R- diverge slightly toWard their 'front ends.

S rcpresents a pair of c vlindrical sleevcs, the interior diameter of each of Which is considerably greater than the dianeter of the sha'ft R, and the said sleeves are jonrnaled on the said shafts, cxtend thronghont their entire length, and are capable of rot-ation thereon. The rear ends of the slccvcs S are provided with pnlleys U.

V rcpresents pnlleys on shaft L, which arc connected to the pulleys by means of endless belts NV.

It will be observed that the shafts R are fixed, and that the sleeves S rotate on the said shafts. Each of the shafts B is provided with a series of fixed niiter-gear pinions, X, Which are arrangcd at snita-ble intervals on the shafts,

IOC

and in the sleeves S are j ournaled a number of short shafts, Y, the inner ends of which are provided With niter-pinions Z, which mesh with the pinions X, on the shafts B. To the outer ends of the shafts Y are secured fle'xible metallic fingers a.

On the upper side of the frame or case A is erected a vertical frame, Z), over Which is stretohed and secured a canopy of wire-gauze or other Suitable material, c.

The operation of my invention is as folloirs: The machine is draWn across the field with a flange, D, on each side of a row of cottonplants, so that the tops of the plants pass between the rotating sleeves S. As the said sleeves rotate the fingers a are rotated, Whereby each of the fingers has two rotations, the one being about the aXis of the sleeve and the other about its own axis. These fingers being very fleXible, as before descrihed, pass through the cotton-plants, and their action on the plants disengages the cotton thcrefrom. During the progress of the machine theshaft L is in motion, thus causing the fans to force strong currents of air into the flues O, from whence the said currents are divided, a portion of the blast passing down through the pipes H, and from thence upwardly on the inner sides of the sides B, thus V,creating a strong upward current under the machine, Which escapes through-the pipe E at the top of the frame. As the detached locks of cotton are exceedingly light they are carried by the currents of air and-discharged through the pipes E and F, and caught by the canopy and become lodged upon the upper side of the frame A. The currents which are forced upwardly through the pipes G into the pipes F, which surround the pipe or noz'zle E, tend to create a partial vacuum in the pipe F above the upper end of the nozzle or pipe E, thereby assisting and strengthening the upward current of air that has acted upon the cotton.

I do not desire to limit myself to the con-- struction hereinbefore shown and descrihed, as it is evident that many moditications may be made therein Without (leparting from the spirit of my invention.

In order to cause the blasts of air which act upon the cotton-plauts to whirl, and thus resemble a cyclone, and consequently exert considerable force upon the eotton, I form the pipes H With interior spiral threads or Wings, l, as shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a cotton-harvester, the case or frame having the inverted funnel-shaped top provided with the spout E, the pipe F, surrounding the said spout, the pipes H, to direct currents of air upwardly under the top to escape through the spout E, the pipes G, to direct cnrrents of air to the pipe F around the spout, for the purpose set forth, and the blowers to force the air through the pipes H and G, substantially as described.

2. In a cotton-harvester, the case or frame having the closed top provided with the spout E, the pipe F, surrounding the said spout, the fiues O, the blowers to force air into the said flucs, the pipes H, depending from the flues and havingtheir lower ends upturncd to force currents of air upwardly under the top of the:

case, and the pipes G, extending from the flues O to the pipe F, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

3. The cotton-harvestcr having the case or frame provided with the closed top, the verticalsidcs, and the spout or opening in the` top, in combination with the longitudinal shafts R, having the gear-wheels X, and arranged on the inneropposing sides of the case, V the rot-ating sleeves S on the said shafts, the

shafts Y, journaled in the Vsaid sleeves and having the stirring-fingers a at their` outer ends and the pinions Z at their inner ends, meshing with Wheels X, and theblowers to direct curren'ts of air upwardlybetween the sides of the case under the top thereof zand through the spout or opening, for the purpose set fort-h, substantially as described.

In testimony that I clain the foregoing as my own I have hereto afi'ixcd my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS M. HANKS. r

\Vit-nesses:

B. F. ONEL, R. E. WVYoHE, J r. 

